Dona Mathew

Dona is a lawyer with over six years of experience in public policy research and legislative drafting. Her career reflects a deep commitment to addressing complex societal challenges through thoughtful and impactful research.

At Digital Futures Lab, her work focuses on the ethical dimensions of data and artificial intelligence, particularly at the nexus of climate action and legal institutions. She has been part of DFL’s flagship research AI and Climate Futures in Asia with The Rockefeller Foundation. Since 2024, she has been leading research and coordinating efforts for Code Green, an innovative media series that explores contemporary themes in AI and climate.

Dona also contributed significantly to DFL’s AI Justice project, co-authoring Smart Automation and AI in India’s Judicial System, that provides critical insights into the risks of unexamined AI adoption in courts.

Before joining DFL, Dona was a researcher at National Law University Delhi, where she led projects on empirical legal research in India and reforms in criminal law, with a focus on evidence laws. Earlier in her career, she was with the UN Women’s Multi-Country Office in India, developing policy interventions aimed at advancing women's economic empowerment, gender mainstreaming, and improving performance on gender indices. Her approach involved engaging stakeholders through consultations, conducting focus group discussions, and leveraging qualitative interviews to inform and shape effective strategies. She collaborated with diverse partners, including the Ministry of Women and Child Development, NITI Aayog, women-owned businesses and labour unions.

Dona began her professional journey at the Centre for Policy Research, where she conducted quantitative research on education reforms and undertook studies on teacher time use in public schools across New Delhi.

She holds a Master’s degree in Constitutional and Criminal Laws from NLU Delhi and a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Institute of Law, Nirma University.